


A Muddy Coat

by Ryn_Holt



Series: Empty Graves [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Mollymauk Tealeaf Lives, Other, Reader-Insert, SO MUCH ANGST GUYS, Spoilers, no beta we die like men, the last episode broke me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:20:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26652052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryn_Holt/pseuds/Ryn_Holt
Summary: You've mourned Mollymauk one of your best friends, and now you are faced with going back to where he died and was buried.AKA so much angst and an open ending.
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Reader, The Mighty Nein & Mollymauk Tealeaf
Series: Empty Graves [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017789
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	A Muddy Coat

**Author's Note:**

> So that last episode huh? If you haven't seen the episode 111 wait until you've watched it. It's a good episode and there will be spoilers in this, if you don't care then fine but don't say I didn't warn you.

It had been a good day, you woke up in the room that Caleb had made, perfectly tailored to you and your personality. You laughed with the rest of the Mighty Nein at breakfast swapping cat puns until watching Fjord’s discomfort growing. You felt light, the heavy worries that you had been carrying from fighting Vokodo and Traveler con, slowly leaving your mind. 

You were looking forward to going to Zadash and seeing Pumat. It felt like years since you had seen him. You were also enjoying hanging out with Yeza and Luc, watching them have fun as a family was heartwarming and gave you hope for your own future. When the rest of the group wasn’t looking you made sure to give Luc a share of the celebones , oops-stones, chuckle dust you had bought, on the promise he’d wait until he got back to Nicodranas to use any of it. You doubted he’d keep the promise but you it was worth the smile on his face. 

You didn’t find anything for yourself at Pumat’s but it was worth it just to see him, you chatted amicably, noting his enthusiasm now that he was weighed down by the army and the war. Next time when you had more time and coin, you promised to have something enchanted next time that you came. 

It had been you to tell Yeza about where he could get dinner and a show. The two groups went their separate ways and the Mighty Nein walked the spiral staircase down and to the Gentlemen’s lair. 

You weren’t surprised that he wasn’t aware of what you were looking for, it had been an increasing growing and worrying pattern as of late. You didn’t like the idea of walking into something you weren’t fully understanding, especially after what happened on Rumblecusp and you trusted Vess DeRogna about as far as you could throw her. 

You made sure to grab your vial of blood, you wanted to make sure that it indeed that it contained your blood, on the off chance that Cree had switched it out. 

You shuddered to think what she could do with it. After the Gentleman left the group, you watched Beau trying to piece together that had happened and what you knew. You tossed out little insights here and there but mostly you just watched. The group seemed split on what to do next. 

You were focused on Cree, why should the group try and chase other possible members when you could already knew one. You watched as Jester starting to draw in the residue on the table unsure of what it was, her eyes glazing over. 

“It's really snowy, I didn’t see if she was with anyone,” she said. 

You and Beau shared a look. “What’s the chance that she’s headed to the same place that we are?” You asked leaning forward. 

“I mean there are other snowy places,” Fjord said. “We shouldn’t assume.” 

You started to think and plan wondering if it was a trip to go see Cree before you left for the trip up North. Answers now versus possibly being late for the trip and pissing off DeRogna. You started to work the details out in your head, what spells you need back up plans, trying to make a realistic timeline that you forgot about the rest of the conversation still happening.

You were pulled out of your head when Caduceus put a hand on your shoulder. You jumped slightly, looking to him and then the group. “Sorry, I was” you waved your hand, “planning. What were saying?” 

Caleb looked you in the eye with a strange intensity, “We asked if you thought we should go talk to Molly,” 

“Or, do we not?” Beau interjected. “We could just go to Cree, or” she said tapping her notes, “try and find the others. The Tomb Takers.” 

You struggled to keep a straight face as you stomach started to hurt. You had been close to Molly, you had known him the longest. You had watched him die. You didn’t want to see him or, what would now just be a skeleton. 

You wrapped your arms around yourself, trying to remain calm, as the image of a skull was burned into your eye lids. “I don’t know, I don’t want to see him,” you choked out the next works, “like that, but he’s one of the only true leads we have.” 

The group noticed your reaction and Caduceus was quick to reassure that you wouldn’t see anything too graphic and you almost said that you had seen him die and that was more graphic but you stopped yourself. It wasn’t right to take it out on Caduceus. 

“Jester can you cast Scry on,” Fjord paused, “his resting place? Just to make sure that he’s still _there_?” 

Jester gave a hesitant nod. “I should be able to.”

Everyone agreed and you felt Yasha’s hand fit into yours. Guilt washed over you and you realized you didn’t even think of how she was feeling about all of this. You gave it a gentle squeeze and tried to give her a smile. Though you pulled all the right muscles you couldn’t help but imagine it looked as empty as you felt.

You looked back just in time to see Jester’s eyes glaze over for a second time. 

“Its really, rainy,” she said. “I couldn’t see the ground well but, his coat it wasn’t there guys.” 

A small spark hope lighted in your chest before you snuffed it out. Molly was dead. You knew it. There would Molly wouldn’t be returned. The coat was either stolen or blown away by the elements. 

“So,” Caleb, “are we going?” 

One by one the Mighty Nein agreed. You watched as Beau pulled out the scrap of Molly’s coat and hand to Caleb.

Caleb started the spell and you realized you felt as if things were going too fast and too slow at the same time. 

Your mind started to wonder and you started to pile up a list of questions you should ask Molly. It was the only thing that seemed that to keep your pulse down. 

Too quickly Caleb was done with the spell and you were back in the same field you had walked into six months ago. 

The rain quickly had everyone soaked, you started to shake and you weren’t sure of the specify reason why.

You found the grave quickly and when Veth offered to start digging, you focused on the staff, leaning at an angle. You righted it and pushed it down farther into the dirt, the mud squelched. 

Veth still hadn’t found anything and Caleb and Caduceus started you turned away. You watched as Veth focused on the surrounding area. Yasha and Beau began to talk and back, questions rising to everyone’s mind as we still couldn’t find anything. You watched as Veth picked up something up out of the mud, it was slick and coated with mud but you caught the purple as she pulled it free. 

Blood soaked ground flashed before your eyes, two red eyes never closing, never giving in and that coat flapping in the breeze, alone. 

Tears mixed with rain started to flow down your face, you were only able to tell the difference by the heat that the tears brought. There was a gentle tug on your coat, voice caught in your throat, you saw Veth handing you Molly’s coat. 

You took it wordlessly. It was tore and slick with rain. Dirty water ran down the coat, the rain slowly tackling the job of dirt and grime. You tried to brush off the mud watching it streak across the fabric. 

It wasn’t helping but you couldn’t stop yourself brushing the coat, soon your hands and clothes were soaked. Only one thought repeated in your mind. 

Molly’s gone. Molly’s gone. Molly’s gone. Molly was gone and it was your fault. If you had been stronger, faster, smarter, he’d still be here. But he was gone. Never to live in the beautiful color that he deserved. Just like his coat.

“I don’t think,” Caduceus soft voice broke your train of thought, “I don’t think that he’s here.” 

“Jester, can you try scrying?” Beau her voice a reserved excited, nervousness.

Jester nodded before Beau had even finished. You clutches the coat to your chest, fingers started to ache. The rest of the group waited with bated breath, Caleb walked to you, standing near you. 

You moved closer so you were standing side by side just a cementer apart. You wanted to throw your an arm around him for comfort but you respected his hesitation with touch.

Jester’s face turned into something was impossible to read. She took a sweeping look to the group before speaking. “He’s alive.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, funny story when I wrote my last CR fic I was like 99.9% sure that Molly was dead and going to stay dead. I was getting ready for talking to dead Molly and how bittersweet and awful that it was going to be, that I wanted to write a happy ending for Molly.  
> And then this week happened. But good news, I have so much angst to write, so keep an eye out for that. Write now I'm going to mark this as finished but depending on what happens next I will might write more of the reader reacting and dealing with Alive Molly. And depending on what happens possibly Villain Molly but I guess we'll see  
> Kudos and comments make my heart sing and I love all of them!


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